| Passed by the House February 10, 2010 Yeas 96 ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate March 5, 2010 Yeas 48 ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Barbara Baker, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2518 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
| Approved ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 61st Legislature | 2010 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 01/25/10.
AN ACT Relating to oath requirements for interpreters; and amending RCW 2.43.050 and 2.43.020.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 2.43.050 and 1989 c 358 s 5 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) Upon certification or registration and every two years
thereafter, certified or registered interpreters shall take an oath,
affirming that the interpreter will make a true interpretation to the
person being examined of all the proceedings in a language which the
person understands, and that the interpreter will repeat the statements
of the person being examined to the court or agency conducting the
proceedings, in the English language, to the best of the interpreter's
skill and judgment. The administrative office of the courts shall
maintain a record of the oath in the same manner that the list of
certified and registered interpreters is maintained.
(2) Before any person serving as an interpreter for the court or
agency begins to interpret, the appointing authority shall require the
interpreter to state the person's name on the record and whether the
person is a certified or registered interpreter. If the interpreter is
not a certified or registered interpreter, the interpreter must submit
the interpreter's qualifications on the record.
(3) Before beginning to interpret, every interpreter appointed
under this chapter shall take an oath ((affirming)) unless the
interpreter is a certified or registered interpreter who has taken the
oath within the last two years as required in subsection (1) of this
section. The oath must affirm that the interpreter will make a true
interpretation to the person being examined of all the proceedings in
a language which the person understands, and that the interpreter will
repeat the statements of the person being examined to the court or
agency conducting the proceedings, in the English language, to the best
of the interpreter's skill and judgment.
Sec. 2 RCW 2.43.020 and 2005 c 282 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
As used in this chapter:
(1) "Non-English-speaking person" means any person involved in a
legal proceeding who cannot readily speak or understand the English
language, but does not include hearing-impaired persons who are covered
under chapter 2.42 RCW.
(2) "Qualified interpreter" means a person who is able readily to
interpret or translate spoken and written English for non-English-speaking persons and to interpret or translate oral or written
statements of non-English-speaking persons into spoken English.
(3) "Legal proceeding" means a proceeding in any court in this
state, grand jury hearing, or hearing before an inquiry judge, or
before an administrative board, commission, agency, or licensing body
of the state or any political subdivision thereof.
(4) "Certified interpreter" means an interpreter who is certified
by the administrative office of the courts.
(5) "Appointing authority" means the presiding officer or similar
official of any court, department, board, commission, agency, licensing
authority, or legislative body of the state or of any political
subdivision thereof.
(6) "Registered interpreter" means an interpreter who is registered
by the administrative office of the courts.